Sunday, 15 June 2014

WSC Black bean cacao fudge

This week I spent time with Sylvia at home sick and attended a funeral. The week before I saw people collapse in public places twice over two days. And I was laid low with a headache a few nights back. So today I bring you a healthy fudge recipe and an urging to take care of yourself.

The fudge is adapted from Ricki Heller's blog. Just a bit less healthy. Pureeing up a tin of black beans in a fudge is a challenge for me but it seems a way of life for Ricki. I am happy to report that this fudge was far more successful than my attempt at black bean brownies some years ago. (Ricki is right. Don't do what I did and try and substitute kidney beans!)

I asked Sylvia to test taste the fudge and added far far more sweetener than Ricki. I took the opportunity with the fudge to use a few of my healthy ingredients: yacon syrup, cacao powder, coconut oil and coconut sugar. So the fudge was sweet but in the healthiest way possible. I really liked it, even with black beans. It quelled the urge for chocolate without making me want more.

Below is a blurb on our local Coburg Carnivale from yesterday but first here is a favourite quote from the Princess Bride that I was reminded of when I think of keeping healthy:

Prince Humperdinck: [sincerely]
Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work [in the torture pit], but I've got my
country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to
murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped. Count Rugen: Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything.

Coburg Carnivale was great fun in the Victoria Mall. It rained on our walk there but the sun came out soon after we arrived. It was smaller than last year but a great little community event. Sylvia's school had a cake stall that was a roaring success. I baked gingerbread that wasn't quite as cute as the ones in the photo. Sylvia made masks in the library with her friends. I loved watching the Aboriginal dancers, especially when they taught some dance steps to volunteers from the audience. E loved choosing some cupcakes from the cake stall. (Maybe that is why Sylvia has set up a shop this morning. Though I don't know where she got the idea for a whale's burp ice cream!)

I am sending this fudge to Michelle of Utterly Scrummy Food for Families for We Should Cocoa. The theme is gluten free this month. This fudge is also vegan, soy free and grain free. If I had used sugar free chocolate, it would have even been free of refined sugars. Best of all it is easy to whip up.

* I used yacon syrup because I bought it for something else and have the rest of a jar to use it but I don't recommend you rush out and buy it at $35 a small jar. Yacon is quite thick, treacly and carmelly. Other liquid sweeteners would work here such as maple syrup, coconut syrup, or (if it doesn't need to be vegan) honey.

Blend
everything together except chocolate. It didn't take me long before everything was smooth. Add chocolate and pulse enough to mix in but not so much that it blends in altogether. Spoon into a lined 15cm sqaure tin. Cool in the fridge and it will be firm enough in a few hours. Store in fridge for a week or so. Or freeze to keep longer.On the stereo:Hatful of Hollow: The Smiths

Thanks Louise - last week felt tough but we also had a great time on the long weekend so it is not all bad - if you want to see lots of recipes you would never imagine I can highly recommend Ricki's blog - she is where I am constantly finding out about new foods

Hope you are feeling better! I was at the Coburg carnivale by chance yesterday, we we driving home and I had to buy some stuff from Woolies. Finding parking was a challenge! I saw the primary school cake stall and got some photos of the for sale stuff, coming up in another post if I can be organised enough, and I wondered if you were around somewhere!

Thanks Veganopoulous - glad you got along to coburg carnivale - we enjoyed it last year so looked out for it this year - and had the cake stall to bake for - it was a bit smaller this year but still nice community atmosphere - though Half Moon was pretty full so I didn't get felafels there as I planned

Thanks Cakelaw - I really should try black bean brownies again as when I looked back I found I had tried them with kidney beans and I have since found that black beans and kidney beans are quite different in texture. And the fudge was very good

Ooh, I've been wanting to try a black bean sweet for a while now - this looks lovely and creamy. I a new thing to make for mid afternoons and work when I crave a sweet treat, that I won't totally gorge on.

Oh and by the way, I love Sylvia's imagination - a whale burp ice cream? Genius!

Thanks Caeli - so pleased that I find it easier to find black beans these days as I love them - mainly in savoury but maybe will start to use in sweet dishes more after this. And I thought the whale burp ice cream just bizarre

Thanks Charlie - on one of the occasions I wasn't sure if it was more shocking to see a lady collapse in the pool change rooms with people crowding round her with an oxygen mask and calling the ambulance or more shocking to mention it sylvia later and find she hadn't noticed it!!!!

Take care, and thank you for sharing this. Food is always comforting, isn't it? Will make this with maple syrup for the sweetener. And (maybe) I will try a batch with peanut butter rather than almond butter.

Thanks Vineca - I am sure this would be great with maple syrup because I love the stuff - And I think other nut butters would work - the almond wasn't terribly prominent whereas I think peanut butter has a much stronger flavour.

After recent experiments with sweet potato brownies, I'm definitely up for black bean fudge. Anything that satisfies the chocolate urge without making me crave loads more gets a thumbs up too. Fingers crossed it brought you a health boost too.

Oh what a fun entry Johanna. I've not come across anything quite like this before. I've made black bean brownies which turned out fine, but this is something different. Beans and chocolate are a great combination in my book, so I think I'd like this. I made some raw chocolate the other day and it's really interesting how just a couple really do satisfy. Thanks for joining in with WSC.

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Recipes and reflections in which our vegetarian heroine dreams of being tall and graceful as a giraffe; being a goddess in the kitchen; and being gladdened by green gadgets, green food and green politics because green is the colour of hope. See About Me for more info.